Monday 30 November 2015

Chicken over rice - recipe

I love finding new recipes online by reading articles and blogs by other people who've tried them and recommend them. This specific recipe was recommended by Elin Josefina, she has a great mummy blog in Swedish. So this dish is called Chicken over rice. Much similar to a chicken cube served with rice that you can find in middle eastern restaurants. It is a favourite to order every time we go to those restaurant. So I decided to cook it and share my twist of this dish. I have added some optional spices. I looked online to see how others make this recipe, and almost all add a twist to it, so this is mine.
Ingredients:
2 chicken breasts, diced
3-5 tbsp greek yoghurt
1 lemon
1 tsp turmeric
1 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp cumin
1 tsp coriander
1/2 tsp ground cloves
1 tsp parlsey
salt and pepper
1 tsp kebab mix spice (optional)
3-4 tbsp oil for frying

1 cup rice cooked according to instructions on package
1/2 tsp turmeric
1/2 tsp ground ginger
1/2 tsp coriander
1/2 tsp coriander
salt to taste
4 pods of cardemon

shredded lettuce, 1 onion, sherry tomatoes

yoghurt sauce: 3 tbsp greek yoghurt, 1 lemon juice, 1 tsp garlic powder, 1/2 tsp dried dill, 1/2 tsp dried parsley, 3 tbsp water to make the sauce more watery

Method:
1. Cook the rice according to the package instructions. Add all spices for the rice in the boiling water. Set aside.


2. Mix the greek yoghurt and all spices for the chicken marinade. Add the diced chicken pieces in the marinade and put it in the fridge for few hours. I only had it in for 1 hour. But the longer it is chilled the tastier flavours will marry. Fry the chicken pieces in a shallow frying pan with few tbsp of oil on medium to high heat. It should look golden and char grilled.

3. Shred some washed lettuce, slice 1 onion and cherry tomatoes. Mix all ingredients for the yoghurt sauce. Put the sauce i the fridge to chill while all food is cooked.

4. Serve it in a plate, rice with the chicken pieces over. Add the salad and yoghurt sauce on top of it. Tastes heavenly, specially for pregnancy cravings.

Enjoy!

Friday 20 November 2015

Pomegranate and feta cheese salad

Today I had a quick lunch based on a salad. Had a few leftovers in the fridge and thought That should do for a nice salad. We had some feta cheese and some pomegranate that were peeled and seeded. I love when hubby does it for me. It was a really nice combo, with the sweetness of the fruit and saltiness from the cheese, together with the crunchy salad mix. I thought it would not be filling, but i was wrong, the creamy cheese made me full. A nice boost of good vitamins too in these rainy days. (Just as a said it the sunny started to shine, lucky day : )

Ingredients:
Bag of mixed salad: carrots, red cabbage, lettuce
1 chopped orange bell pepper
4-5 halved cherry tomatoes
1/3 feta cheese square
1/2 cup seeded pomegranate
salt to taste

Method:
Mix all ingredients and season with salt to taste. Easy and very tasty.


Enjoy!

Sunday 8 November 2015

Tuna and potato mash, toddler meals - recipe

Often when I have leftover tuna mayo mix I try to use it up by mixing it with something that my son loves. Today I made mashed potato, so I mixed in the tuna and added boiled vegetables. It was a great hit. Hubby had a portion too so these can be easily eaten by adults as well. Fast food goes healthy and non fried!

Ingredients:
Tuna mayo mix leftover
2 boiled potatoes
2 tbsp butter
2 tbsp milk
half cup frozen corn and peas
fish seasoning
salt and pepper

Method:
1. Boil the potatoes until fully cooked through. Mash it and add butter and milk. Season with salt and pepper. Boil the frozen vegetables. Once done, mix everything with the tuna mayo mix.



Enjoy!

Friday 6 November 2015

Sweet potato fries and fish fingers

When my son was a baby he used to love to eat mashed sweet potato pure and later together with other mashed veggies and chicken. However, ever since he started to eat himself, he has become more picky with his food. He has rejected the sweet potato on few occasions but this time, I thought I will do sweet potato oven baked fries. It was a hit, especially with his favourite, the ketchup.

Ingredients:
1 sweet potato
2 tbsp olive oil
pinch of salt

2 fish fingers
ketchup

Method:
Peel and slice the sweet potato into fries. Coat them with the olive oil and pinch of salt. Bake the in the oven for about 30 mins at 220 degrees. Serve it with oven baked fish fingers and ketchup.


Enjoy!

Thursday 5 November 2015

Baked potato, beans and sausages

Sometimes I do bake to many potatoes and have some leftovers for the next day. This time hubby wanted beans with it for his dinner. I also added some sausages and made it into an animal shape. Our son loved it and wanted of course to join him as well. I try my best not to throw any food away and this time I had these ingredients at home. Maybe no the most healthy choice but oh so satisfyingly good. This might not seem like a meal to blog about, but the purpose of this blog is also for me to remember and look back at what we used to eat.

Ingredients:
Baked potato
4 mini sausages
1/2 can of baked beans
shredded cheese

Method:
Warm the baked potato with the beans and shredded cheese on top in the microwave. Fry the sausages and serve it with the potato and beans.

Enjoy!

Tuesday 3 November 2015

Fish, baked potato and vegetables, toddler meal - recipe

As we try to make give our son the same food as we eat, I often just give him his meals that have same ingredients as us, but try to make it in a healthier version and add less salt. Luckily he likes fish and I always try to give it to him twice a week.

Ingredients:
1 piece of white fish
2 tbsp vegetable oil
1/2 baked potato
1/2 cup boiled vegetables

Method:
1. Fry the white fish gently in a pan with 2 tbsp of vegetable oil until lightly browned. Bake the potato in the oven until cooked through in 220 degrees for ca 45 min. Boil the frozen vegetables. Serve it together with a click of butter on the potato to make it moister and easier to eat. 


Enjoy!

Mason (jam) jar salad

Something new that I have recently discovered are mason jar salads. This is simply any salad combo that you like, stored in a jam jar. Which is really perfect to bring with you when you're out, working, going to the gym, having picnic or just out and about. Personally I love salads but sometimes I can't be bothered to make them. Which is really silly as it is so simple when you have all ingredients at home. But my love was reborn once I found out about making them this way. I have tried a few different combos and will share my classic Greek salad combo. 
Ingredients:
1 mason jar (any jar really)
few cherry tomatoes
half bell pepper
handful green leaves
few olives
few bite size pieces of feta cheese
few gherkins
few slices of cucumber
 dressing: 1,5 tbsp olive oil, 1 tbsp balsamic vinegar

Method:
1. Make sure you have a clean jar. Mix the the dressing ingredients in a small bowl, put aside.


2. Chop the rest of the ingredients in bite size pieces. 

3. Then to make a great jar salad the order of the things put in it, is quite important. first of all, add the dressing in the bottom. This way, the rest of the ingredients will not get soggy. Then add the chunky pieces, here I added the bell pepper and cucumbers. Or if you have anything grainy or protein like chicken. they build up a wall separating rest of the ingredients from getting wet.

4. Lastly add cheeses, nuts, or any other fixings. Here I have added the tomatoes, cheese, olives and lastly the green leaves. That way, when you turn the jar upside down, the greens makes the bed and the dressing is coating your salad nicely.
 


5. Screw on the lid and you are good to go. It keeps it fresh and crispy for up to 5 days, so you can simply do them all at once and keep in the fridge and just grab one for your lunch, when you are to lazy or have no time to make something else. 

Enjoy!



Monday 2 November 2015

Egg-free battered fish and baked potato - recipe

Now that my mum keeps saying do not eat to much red meat, we are eating more fish in this household. Which is good, as it is healthy. But sometimes I like to make the fish in an unhealthy way and deep fry it. It make is crunchy on top but soft inside and simply delicious. Specially if it is battered. I wanted to do my own batter, but unfortunately did not have any eggs so had to come up with a quickly and egg free recipe instead. It turned out good although I  was not so sure as it was egg free. That teaches me that I should improvise a lot more in the kitchen.

Ingredients:
white fish fillets
1/2 cup flour
1 tsp baking powder
fish seasoning
salt and pepper
vegetable oil

baked potato
frozen vegetable to boil
butter

Method:
1. Mix flour, baking powder, fish seasoning and salt and pepper in a flat bowl. Add little oil and both sides of the fish and dip it in the dry batter. Alternatively you can add 1 cup water to the batter to make it runny and you can dip the fish in it. Fry in a shallow frying pan on medium high temperature.

2. Bake the potatoes in the oven for ca 1 hour. Poke the potatoes first before putting it in.

3. Boil frozen vegetables of your choice. Once everything is done. Serve it in a plate with a click of butter on the baked potato. I also sprinkle a bread dipping mix seasoning over the baked potato as it gives it more taste. But that is optional.
Enjoy!

Sunday 1 November 2015

Cheese straws (sticks) - recipe

I love finding new ways of making snacks that are messy free when my son eats them outside. This is a perfect snack, both for young and adults. Cheese straws are good  and very easy to do. My son likes to eat them at any time of the day. When we go out I just put a few straws in a plastic container and we are good to go.

Ingredients:
1.5 cup flour
6 tbsp butter
2 cups chredded cheese
1 egg beaten
sesame seeds, optional

Method:
1. Mix cold butter and the flour in a bowl until it looks crumbly. Then add the cheese and the egg. You can save little of the egg if you like to brush the straws before it goes in the oven. Put the dough in the fridge for 10 mins to chill.

2. Once it has been chilled, roll the dough out and cut into straws or sticks that are half cm thick. Brush them with egg and sprinkle over some sesame seeds if you like.

3. Bake in the oven for 10 min at 175 degrees, until golden brown.

4. Serve your toddlers when they crave a snack or take with you when you guys are out and about.
Enjoy!